Helicopter Parenting and the Mental Health of iGen College Students

Abstract

Helicopter parenting is a type of over-parenting in which parents hover over their college students, ready to intervene at a moment's notice to protect and micromanage their emerging adult's personal and academic life. Constant monitoring by parents may have a negative impact on mental health by decreasing a sense of independence and self-efficacy. Current traditional undergraduate students comprise the cohort of youth in the iGen generation. With the advent of smartphones, parents' surveillance adds to the “culture of safetyism” that predominates on college campuses, leading to mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Psychiatric–mental health nurses need to be aware of the effects of helicopter parenting on the development of college students and encourage youth to engage in challenging educational and social activities that promote autonomy and independence. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 58 (5), 16–22.]

The Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Postsecondary Students: An Analysis of Self-Determination

“…The term helicopter parent describes a parent who “hovers” over a child [ 77 ]. This parenting style has gained notoriety in the public media due to the negative effects on postsecondary students [ 77 , 78 ]. Research suggests that helicopter parenting can occur in up to 60% of postsecondary students, regardless of social, economic, and racial and ethnic backgrounds [ 77 , 79 ].…”

Voluntary and involuntary singlehood: Salience of concepts from four theories

“…In the absence of conditions beyond their control (such as disability or the Great Recession), it is not particularly obvious why some young adults do not venture into independence or start their own families (via marriage and parenthood). In the academic literature, it is unclear whether a lapse/failure is due to young adults' unwillingness to move into other responsibilities (Dalla et al, 2010) or over engaged (helicopter, snowplow) parenting (Adinolfi, 2013; Randall et al, 2022; Wieland & Kucirka, 2020).…”

Promotion of Student Engagement Through the Application of Good Practices in Nursing Online Education

“…Setting high expectations around the promotion of nursing advocacy expectations is becoming more important in today's culture. College-age students and new nurses tend to struggle with the discourse necessary to be advocates 36. Nursing faculty are responsible for the development of advocacy skills, which includes discourse, discussion of controversial topics, and the use of scientific evidence to form “talking points.” Giving students the opportunity to practice forming arguments based on scientific evidence, communicating high expectations (ie, avoiding opinion-based arguments, reviewing information sources for credibility, and synthesizing evidence), and presenting those arguments in a nonthreatening forum has the potential to create and reinforce strong advocacy skills.…”